Nets Maintain Interest In Ersan Ilyasova
The Nets still have interest in pursuing Ersan Ilyasova if they're unable to acquire Dwight Howard from the Magic, tweets Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Peter Vecsey of the New York Post first tweeted that Brooklyn would target a sign-and-trade deal for Ilyasova if Howard was unobtainable.
Odds & Ends: Deng, Batum, Jennings, Warriors
Eight years ago today, the Rockets made one of the biggest trades in team history, sending Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato to the Magic in exchange for Tracy McGrady, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, and Reece Gaines. GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets may have been looking to make a similarly big splash this June, but draft day came and went without a major trade from Houston. Still, if nothing else, the Rockets accumulated a ton of talent Thursday night, drafting Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and Terrence Jones with their three first-round picks.
Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
Draft Rumors: Thursday
Well, we're here. After weeks of following draft rumors and speculating on which player will be picked by which team, we're just hours away from the 2012 draft. Before things get underway tonight though, we're sure to hear plenty more draft rumors, so be sure to follow this page for the latest updates throughout the day. And to fully immerse yourself in tonight's draft, you can also check out our most recent mock draft, the complete draft order, our Prospect Profiles series, and all the rest of our draft content. Here are today's updates, with the latest up top:
- The Kings and Warriors will make decisions on whether to trade their picks while they're on the clock, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says (Twitter link).
- It's highly unlikely the Grizzlies use the 25th pick on a point guard, the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
- The Grizzlies, Rockets and Celtics are all interested in Royce White, says Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Warriors may trade up from No. 30 to land him, Rothstein also tweets.
- The Bobcats are "getting closer" to trading the No. 2 pick, tweets ESPN.com's Andy Katz (hat tip to Tom Ziller of SBNation).
Earlier updates:
Draft Rumors: Wednesday
With draft night fast approaching, our Tuesday draft rumors post seemed to go on forever, and we're expecting things to be just as busy today. Earlier this morning, we published our second and final mock draft, but given the amount of trade chatter around the league, it wouldn't be surprising if some of our predictions were rendered moot within a matter of hours. We'll follow today's draft-related news and rumors right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- ESPN's Andy Katz tweets that Dion Waiters could now be a possibility for the Cavaliers at the 4th pick. If Waiters lands in the top 5, his draft stock will have shot up boards over the past few months in historical fashion.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Ellis, Turiaf, Bulls, Garnett
Earlier today we heard that the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan spoke with the media and addressed the plethora of issues he has on his plate in his first few weeks on the job. Following Hennigan's availability, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel put together a comprehensive story on the rapid rate of change with which the Magic have overhauled their organization. By Schmitz's count, the Magic have dispatched of 17 important pieces of the organization since December. Starting as early as tomorrow night's draft, it is Orlando roster's turn for a makeover.
Here are some some odds and ends from around the NBA on this Wednesday night:
Bucks Acquire Samuel Dalembert
5:01pm: The swap also includes a future second-round pick heading to the Bucks, according to the team's official PR Twitter feed.
2:31pm: The Bucks have acquired Samuel Dalembert in a trade with the Rockets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Dalembert heads to Milwaukee along with the No. 14 pick, in exchange for Jon Brockman, Jon Leuer, Shaun Livingston, and the No. 12 pick, tweets Wojnarowski.
Bucks Interested In Samuel Dalembert
The Bucks have been rumored to be targeting a big man in tomorrow night's draft, potentially a replacement for Andrew Bogut, who was sent to Golden State at this year's trade deadline. But the draft isn't the only means of acquiring a center for Milwaukee. According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (via Twitter), the Bucks are interested in trading for Samuel Dalembert of the Rockets.
Warriors Rumors: Trades, Draft, Thompson, Curry
Earlier today, we heard from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that the Nuggets and Warriors had discussed the possibility of a trade that would send the No. 7 pick to Denver and Wilson Chandler to Golden State. Broussard is back with more Warriors info this afternoon, tweeting that the team is eyeing other small forwards besides Chandler, including Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Marvin Williams. No deals are imminent, according to Broussard, but the Warriors are a good bet to be active either today or tomorrow. Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group has a few more Warriors items, so let's check those out:
Ford’s Latest: Ross, Cavs, Bucks, Rockets, Jazz
The Cavaliers are bringing in Terrence Ross for a private workout today, which raises some eyebrows, since Ross would be a major reach at fourth overall, but isn't expected to slip to 24th. Could the Cavs be looking at Ross in case of a trade? According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link), while Cleveland is still exploring moving up from No. 24, the team may also be seriously considering moving down from No. 4 if it means acquiring multiple assets. Here are a few more draft-related rumors from Ford….
Draft Rumors: Tuesday
With two days remaining until the 2012 draft, we've seen a first-round pick change hands for the first time this offseason, as the Timberwolves agreed to send the 18th overall pick to Houston in exchange for Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu. The general consensus is that the move is the precursor to a bigger deal for the Rockets, and Houston isn't the only team rumored to be shopping picks. Here are today's draft-related rumors, with the newest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweeted that the Bucks are looking to move into the top 10, and are supposedly targeting John Henson.
- Kennedy says that the Rockets are still trying to acquire another first round pick, most recently in discussions with the Hornets about the 10th pick before talks broke down (Twitter link). He also tweeted that the Lakers and Nets are both looking to acquire a first rounder.
